Three years after the release of my debut novel, it’s still going strong, and I’m beyond grateful. I’m excited to share a short excerpt with you and invite you to join me in person on August 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Elmhurst Public Library’s Local Author Fair. Stop by, say hello, and pick up a signed copy!
From Tame My Racing Heart
After surviving an attack, a hotshot female race car driver reluctantly accepts protection from the bodyguard who broke her heart. Sami Jo McLean will let nothing get in the way of her success in the male-dominated sport of racing — not even threats on her life. Grayson Finch is pretty sure Sami Jo still hates him, but that won’t stop him from keeping her safe.
Sheriff Kovach was already onsite at McLean Racing when Gray arrived with a stunned Sami Jo in tow.
Royce and the sheriff stood in the large conference room with a second officer who was handling an envelope with latex gloves. He held it by the tips of his fingers as he dropped it into a thin, clear plastic sleeve and secured it with red evidence tape.
The photo itself, sealed inside another clear sleeve, was face down next to the officer’s equipment bag.
“Grayson, you remember Sheriff Kovach?” Royce nodded toward the older man in uniform.
Gray stuck out his hand to shake hands with the sheriff. “What have we got, Sheriff?”
“The same type of envelope, which tipped off Ms. Quaid when she was sorting the mail this morning,” Sheriff Kovach said. “Hopefully we can grab something off of it since it didn’t pass through anyone’s hands this time.”
Gray picked up the sleeve holding the photo and turned it over.
His mouth dropped open slightly.
It had been taken yesterday in Miami when they were poolside at the hotel. It was a closeup of Sami Jo standing over Gray before she jumped into the pool. He could make out the scowl on Sami Jo’s face and recalled that they’d been discussing Alec Clarke and Luke Dillon at the time. The words He can’t save you were scrawled in the same red script as the other photo.
It took him a moment to realize Sami Jo was now standing next to him, gawking at the picture.
“He was there?” She looked up at Gray. Her exhaustion was replaced with alarm.
“Looks like he followed you to Miami, kiddo,” Royce said.
“Did anything happen while you were there?” Sheriff Kovach asked.
“No,” Gray answered quickly. “It was uneventful. Sami Jo did her appearance and that was it.”
He could feel her eyes on him.
“We’ll send this to the lab. See what turns up.” Kovach nodded at the other officer who took the sealed photo from Gray.
“Any word on the other women?” Gray asked.
The sheriff took a deep breath and blew it out. “Angela Guthrie’s home in Mooresville was broken into. Luckily, she wasn’t home at the time and none of her belongings were taken. But the perpetrator spray-painted a rather nasty message on the wall of her bedroom.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Gray remarked.
“The alarm system wasn’t even tripped. She said she thought she armed it but couldn’t say for certain.” The sheriff shrugged. “We’ll let you know if we hear anything.”
“Thanks, Ed,” Royce said, shaking the sheriff’s hand. “Appreciate you handling this.”
“Sure thing, Royce.” The sheriff then shook Gray’s hand and turned to Sami Jo. “You’re lucky you have your security agent with you, Ms. McLean. Can’t be too careful.”
Sami Jo nodded weakly.
“Let me walk you out, gentlemen,” Royce said and followed the officers out of the conference room.
Sami Jo settled into the nearest chair, put her elbows on the table, and brought her hands to her face.
Gray pulled out the chair next to her and sat, unsure of what to say. His hand twitched, wanting to touch her shoulder in reassurance. The rest of him wanted to take her in his arms and hold her.
“Thanks for not saying anything about last night.” She dropped her hands and crossed her arms on top of the table.
He grimaced. “I didn’t think it would go over well with your uncle. He might’ve fired me and if this guy comes after you, you’ll want me to be the one who gets in his way.”
She laughed weakly. “You’re a real tough guy.”
He sat back in the chair. “I do alright for myself.”
“You probably see shit like this all the time with what you do.”
For the first time since he’d been in her presence, he could see her guard was completely down. She was finally looking at him without hatred in her eyes.
“I’ve seen worse.” He leaned toward her. “But that’s why I’ve been such a hard-ass about all this, Sami Jo. I know how quickly it escalates. I also know if you don’t put yourself in harm’s way, like walking in the mountains alone or going off with a stranger, you minimize the chance of getting hurt.”
She chewed on her lip and sighed. “Well, thanks for not snitching on me. I don’t need Royce up my ass any more than he already is. Do you think maybe it was that guy you tossed last night?”
“Probably not. But my office is already checking into his background. We’ll see what comes up.”
Gray looked up as Royce entered the conference room. The older man’s expression was grim. He went to a chair across the table from them and set his hands on the back support.
“What’s next, Grayson?” Royce asked. “Do I need to pull her from her events?”
“What?” Sami Jo sat up straight. “Royce, you can’t do that. I’ll lose my sponsors.”
Gray held up his hand. “I don’t think we need to go to that extreme. I think if we keep her social interaction to a minimum and she stays by my side, she can fulfill her obligations.”
In his peripheral, Sami Jo slumped in relief.
“The alarm system is up and running at her house. The itinerary shows a few public appearances in the next couple of weeks but that should be manageable. I’m not too worried about the rest.” Gray folded his hands in his lap. “About that picture, Royce. I’m pretty sure that photo was taken with a zoom lens; there was no imminent danger, just so you’re aware. And I kept my eye on her the entire time we were there. She was able to network with some of the other athletes who were at the pool. From what I witnessed, she may have converted quite a few of them into racing fans.”
“Good. That’s good.” Royce nodded.
“Does Mel know?” Sami Jo asked.
Royce gritted his teeth. “She does. She’s thinking about taking the kids to Matt’s parents’ in Tampa for a few weeks.”
Sami Jo sat back in the chair with her arms crossed.
Great, there goes that guard of hers—back up again.
“Otherwise the event went well?” Royce asked.
Gray could feel Sami Jo’s apprehension.
“It was fine. Typical,” she responded.
“Well, keep following Grayson’s lead.” Royce turned back to Gray. “How do you want to move forward?”
“For starters, I need to grab things at my hotel.” Gray glanced over at Sami Jo. “I think it would be wise for me to provide Sami Jo twenty-four-seven protection.”
Once again, he felt her stiffen beside him.
